With fortified malt sweetness and a peripheral dance of hops about the edges, Southern Tier nails the flavor profile of American-style Barleywines with this nearly-balanced example.

Pouring a deep ruby or mohogany hue and with the signature haze of hoppy ales, the beer forms a masculine appearance and carries it well with a dense tanish head, long-lasting retention, and classic rings of lace as the beer fades.

The mouthwatering sweet sent of caramelized barley, toffee, and even molasses all take turns sharing the nose. Not to be outdone are the deep spicy hop notes of pine and citrus. Alcohol aromas are evident in a very rummy, cherry, and raisony way.

The focus toward sweetness continues with a balance of malty richness and toffee sweetness. The taste of heavy caramelization chases the beer from inital sip until the savory finish. A rise of citrusy grapefruit and orange zest complement the sweetness with an awakening sharpness and acidity that develops nicely into a clean resiny bitterness in finish. Estery with fruit complexities of cherry, raisons, and rum continue to blend in and out of the malty make up.

Big and bold, the early weighted creaminess is slow developing into a long and lingering finish of near-cloying and resiny-dry balance. Alcohol abrasion and biting hops deny the smooth and deeply developing finish of classics like Bigfoot Barleywine and Behemoth Barleywine.

Regardless, fresh varieties yield a brighter and hop-forward citrusy component while older versions prove smoother and more rounded. Should pair well with Stilton or Maytag Blue cheeses.

A - Pours a clear caramel with a creamy off-white head that settles to a solid cap, leaving sheets of lacing as it recedes.S - Big, sweet aromas of caramel, honey, and dried fruits with a candied citrus peel hop character and a touch of alcohol.T - Big malty flavors of caramel and honey with a good amount of fruitiness (prunes, raisins, apricots) and some citrusy hops. Obviously a sweet beer, but still nicely balanced and surprisingly drinkable despite the 9.60% ABV.M - Slightly sticky, with a medium-full body and appropriately lowish carbonation.O - An enjoyable, slow-sipping Barleywine, I just wish it came in 12oz bottles instead of 22. This is gonna be tough to finish by myself...

Thick, tawny, rubies thrown in the fire... Backburner is a heavy, opaque and dark barleywine. Sweet caramel malts, candied pears, plums and leather all lend themselves to a great aroma. Southern Tier never lets one down with anything short of a sweet beer but does well not to do so in a cloying way. A bit too peppery, but overall solid with great flavors of roasted caramel, dark fruits, earthy hops and leather.. Decent medium-heavy mouthfeel with a bit of heat from the alcohol.

Taste: The apricots come through with a fantastic caramel and roasted malt backbone. Finish is piney and citrus from a the hops, the bitterness has faded perfectly well to support the beer.

Mouth: Velvetty and smooth, the alcohol taste that was there fresh is gone. This feels like silk on the tongue.

Overall: Bought 2 of these 2 years ago, and thought it would age ok, I am pleasantly surprised with this beer. Fresh isn't nearly as good as this, which has allowed the fruit to come out and the alcohol taste to settle down.

D/O: This is a pleasant, malt-focused barleywine that is strongly influenced by English yeast character. It gives up some of the interesting challenge of a strong ale to seem more palate friendly than most. This beer could easily pass as a stronger old ale.